The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Tributesto boywhodied intownhit byflooding
TRIBUTES HAVE been paid to a seven-year-old boy who died after falling ill in a flood-hit town under threat last night from a severe flood warning.
Po l i c e i nve s t i g a t i n g wh e t h e r flooding was a factor in the death of Zane Gbangbola said it could be days before the cause is known.
Officers have refused to be drawn on whether carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator pumping out flood water from his home may have been to blame.
Zane’s parents, named locally as Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler, were also taken ill at the family home in Thameside in Chertsey, Surrey, just before 3.30am on Saturday.
Two police officers and 13 nearby residents were released after being treated in hospital as a precaution.
As Zane’s parents continued to receive treatment at St Peter’s Hospital, tributes were paid to the tragic schoolboy, including on Facebook.
One poster wrote: “Zane always had a smile on his face, he was so talented. RIP Zane, our thoughts are with his family.”
Another wrote: “Our words are not adequate to express the sorrow we feel for Zane’s family and the loss of such a wonderful boy.”
Anoop Hothi, 31, taught Zane martial arts at the Sport Martial Arts Academy in Egham, which he joined aged five. After a year, Zane became a member of the leadership team helping teach others new to the club, and last month he was promoted to green stripe belt.
Mr Hothi, also a neighbour of Zane’s family, said: “Little Zane was an absolute joy to teach, and it’s children like him who make teaching so much more rewarding.
“I’m sure his school teachers would say the same thing. He was a lovely boy, and he came from good, caring parents.
“It’s not the parents who are to blame for this. They were loving and caring people — it’s the overall system that’s to blame for his death.”
Mr Hothi criticised agencies for their response to the floods in the area as he praised Zane’s parents as the nicest neighbours he had ever had. He said he saw some pipes coming out from the front of Zane’s parents’ property throwing out water, but he did not know whether a generator was being used.
Zane’s mother is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group and his father is the founder of a sustainability consultancy.
Last night the Environment Agency issued 14 severe flood warnings in South East England, meaning there is a potential risk to life.